


The Way the World Ends

by BookshopLaura



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Magic Revealed, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 16:23:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1148134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookshopLaura/pseuds/BookshopLaura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur discovers Merlin's secret and kills him. This is the aftermath, intermingled with quotes from 'The Wasteland', because T.S.Eliot did dramatic and sad very well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way the World Ends

"This is the way the world ends,  
this is the way the world ends,  
this is the way the world ends,  
not with bang but with a whimper."

A barely audible whimper and then the sound of knees and then a body hitting the floor. For a moment blue eyes he knows well, better than any others look up at him. They don't accuse him, they aren't angry or upset. They're simply shocked, and then they aren't anything because they aren't looking any more. Just staring into nothing.

"Those were pearls that were his eyes. Look!"

Arthur's sword is buried to the hilt in Merlin's chest, blood blooming like a twisted flower as it spreads through his blue shirt. It glistens as it wells up. Merlin has fallen awkwardly and Arthur thinks for a moment that it can't be comfortable but then what does comfort matter now. On the floor is the smashed jug, the cause. Such a normal, small thing to cause such problems. The jug which Merlin had lifted and floated without thinking. Which Arthur had seen and known the truth. But now a greater, more terrible truth about Merlin is filling his mind.

He is dead. 

And Arthur has killed him.

Merlin is a sorcerer. No! Merlin was a sorcerer. Now all that Merlin is is a dead body on Arthur's floor. 

"Dry bones can harm no one."

He steps slowly closer, kneeling down. 

"Merlin? Merlin?" it's hopeless, why does he try? But how can it be? How can it be so easy. All those years of friendship, all those years of tears and laughter. Of keeping him alive and bullying him and sideways glances and it all boils down to this. A fast cooling bag of blood and bones on the floor of Arthur's chambers. Merlin should get up, should tell him off, telling him to stop being a dollop head. Because that's what Merlin does, what he's always done. Can one insensible, outraged action really change his world so easily. End it so completely. 

His trembling hand hovers over Merlin's arm. He touches Merlin's arm gently, his eyes searching Merlin's for some sign of movement. He shakes him gently.

"Hey... hey... come on, wake up!" His shakes become more frantic.

"Wake up! I said wake up! I'm ordering you to wake up! Merlin, wake up! Please!!" He's using both arms now to rock Merlin's body back and forth, but the only sounds he can hear are the rustle of Merlin's clothing and the squish of blood. Tears stream down his face as his mind rebels. This can't be true, he can't bear it if it's true.

"No! No! Wake up!" The door flies open and arms are pulling at him, pulling him away from Merlin. Arms covered in armour, strong. But he's struggling as if his life depends on it because he must get back to Merlin. Must wake him up. It'll all be fine if Merlin would just wake up!

"Wake up! Wake up!" His own voice in his head sounds hollow, distant. It sounds like Merlin, it sounds like Merlin used to sound. But he can see Merlin's corpse on the floor. It won't speak again. 

The guards struggle with him, struggle against him as the mantra of Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! plays over and over in Merlin's voice. 

Nooo!! He screams and feels wrenched, ripped in half. His skin feels wrong, clammy, tingly. His mind feels like it's pounding within him and his eyes are tight shut. The voice goes on. 

"Wake up! Wake up! Arthur wake up! It's just a bad dream! Arthur!" He opens his eyes. Merlin is there. Merlin whose eyes are intelligent and wide and observing him with concern. 

"Hey, are you okay? You had a pretty bad nightmare"

He's never been more pleased to see Merlin, to see a stomach without a sword buried in it, just to see him move and speak and watch. Arthur is breathing in huge gasps of relief. 

"I... oh god it was a terrible dream. You were dead"

"You mean you were actually upset because I was dead? Aww, I didn't realise you cared that much" smirks Merlin. Arthur frowns at him and Merlin turns away to go and pour Arthur a cup of water. 

"You weren't just dead. I... I killed you. I killed you because you were a sorcerer" 

Merlin stops where he's turned back towards Arthur, a guilty look on his face. An ashen look. 

"Merlin... this is not the time for..." his response dies on his lips as Merlin levitates the jug of water off of the table and into the air in front of him, his eyes glowing.

"No!" shouts Arthur! The jug crashes to the ground and shatters.

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry, I don't know where this stuff comes from. (Suggested recovery reading - Morning, Idiot is pure fluff)  
> As for ending, either  
> "Arthur climbs slowly from the bed and grabs his sword"  
> or  
> "Arthur climbs out of the bed and walks slowly over to Merlin. 
> 
> 'I'm sorry! I meant to tell you, I kept trying to...' Arthur cuts him off in a crushing hug.  
> He can't say anything, just weeps, refusing to let go. He feels like he's passed a test, that this time he gets to keep Merlin. He pulls away. 
> 
> 'No more secrets! I won't lose you again! Promise me!'
> 
> 'I promise'"


End file.
